Photo By Ashlie Shrewsbury | Medal of Honor recipient retired Col. Leo Thorsness, alongside moderator Ron Rand of...... read more read more
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ATLANTA - As 8:30 a.m. approached, school counselors and superintendents from Georgia's Department of Education, educators and education executives, several members of the Georgia Army and Air National Guard, military veterans and members of the Arthur Blank Foundation took their seats around a small stage.
After being welcomed by Penelope McPhee, those gathered listened intently for 90 minutes to a well-developed program centered around one thing: "Lessons of Personal Bravery and Self Sacrifice: The Medal of Honor Character Development Program."
Moderated by Ron Rand, the fireside-style discussion with Medal of Honor recipient retired Col. Leo Thorsness proved to be nothing short of eye-opening and moving to all, regardless of their degree of familiarity with this up-and-coming curriculum that has been brought to Georgia and 34 other states and territories. Currently, 100 teachers in Georgia are certified to teach this curriculum. Moreover, The Medal of Honor Character Development Program was developed "by teachers, for teachers" with the direct involvement of multiple Medal of Honor recipients.
"We want to teach children that each person has the potential to change the world." Those words echoed across the ballroom more than once during a few short videos developed to explain, in a series of spliced-together quotes and interviews from several of the 77 still-living recipients of the Medal of Honor, just what this curriculum and opportunity to impact America's youth means to them.
Of the 77 still-living recipients, seven are World War II veterans, nine Korean War veterans, 55 from the Vietnam conflict and six fought in Afghanistan during the ongoing War on Terror.
"People call us winners. We call ourselves recipients, because this is not something you compete to wear. ... (My fellow service members) got this medal; I'm just the one they selected to wear it."
Years in the making, the Medal of Honor curriculum was championed by the Georgia National Guard as a way of promoting citizenship in classrooms for younger generations. The curriculum is intended for middle and high school audiences, and lesson plans draw on vignettes from the lives of the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.
For more information on this curriculum you can also reference the December 2013 story in The American Legion magazine or view this specific event by visiting the Arthur Blank Foundation at http://www.blankfoundation.org/medal-of-honor
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 05.07.2014 16:37 |
| Story ID: | 129059 |
| Location: | ATLANTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | LOGANVILLE, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | MCDONOUGH, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 83 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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